


I Think I Love You

by Amikotsu



Series: Whumptober Prompts [6]
Category: Naruto
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Awkwardness, Being Lost, Crushes, Cute, Fluff and Humor, Friends to Lovers, Lost - Freeform, Love Confessions, M/M, Whumptober
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-10-06
Updated: 2019-10-06
Packaged: 2020-11-25 17:57:44
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 8,592
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20916209
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Amikotsu/pseuds/Amikotsu
Summary: Naruto decides to put his life on hold once more, and it's probably the best decision he's ever made. What's more exciting than going on a journey with his best friend? It's going to be great! The only problem is he's actually a terrible traveling companion. What was Sasuke thinking letting him tag along?





	1. Happy Birthday, Naruto

She wanted an answer, but he had nothing to say to her. So much had happened; they had both grown, and under the harshest of conditions. Naruto thought of himself as a dandelion, beautiful but invasive, entertaining, even as a weed. She existed on the other side of the spectrum, a flower he couldn't quite name, one he couldn't quite describe. They didn't belong together. Naruto knew that. He didn't understand why she wanted anything to do with him. He'd spent years of his life chasing Sakura, always several steps behind; Naruto had barely registered Hinata's existence. Hinata was smart and beautiful, but she wasn't what he was looking for in a girlfriend. He'd hoped that she would swallow her confession and build a wall between them, but she'd shown up at his apartment, at the crack of dawn, and presented him with the first birthday gift of the day. And what was he supposed to think? Dressed in his pajamas, left hand rubbing at his eye, he'd invited her into his messy apartment, but she'd blushed and quickly declined. She'd asked him on a date, the words rushed and littered with stutters, as if they'd been transported back to their academy days. He'd told her he would think about it, even though he'd wanted to decline. He'd never been very good with women. 

Naruto sat on his bed, the wrapped box held tightly in his hands. The right hand lacked the strength of the left, but Tsunade had assured him that physical therapy would solve the problem, that he needed time and patience and determination. He knew all about determination, and he had nothing but time. The war had ended a year ago, and though the nations still bickered over the terms of peace, they lived in a better world. Naruto tugged on the ribbon, the fingers on his right hand struggling, before he finally grabbed a kunai from his bedside table and cut the ribbon. Hinata had wrapped the box in orange wrapping paper and topped it with a white ribbon. How she managed to find bright orange wrapping paper was beyond him. He was touched. He appreciated her attention to detail, but that didn't change how he felt about her. He had no romantic feelings for her. They didn't live in a fairytale, one in which she could win his heart and affection by being the proverbial girl next door. Though he felt dirty admitting it, he'd developed feelings for someone else. He just had no intention of confessing to the person. In that aspect, Hinata was braver. He was a coward.

Naruto pulled a stuffed fox from the open box and he felt Kurama bristle at the bright smile on the animal's face. The fox even had pink dimples. Naruto burst into laughter, silently poking fun at Kurama, but another knock on his front door drew him from within himself. He let Kurama complain about the ridiculous stuffed animal, ignoring the fox in favor of answering the door. He expected Sakura, as she'd been the one to suggest a get-together with the other rookies. When the knocking started again, Naruto flew through his apartment to get to the door. His neighbors were night owls and he didn't want them complaining again. 

"Hang on!" 

Naruto hesitated, fearing that Hinata had doubled back to demand an answer, but he shoved the irrational thought aside. He didn't sense her, nor her cloud of nervousness. He was greeted with a familiar feeling, something that reminded him of a cool breeze, like the first warning of a thunderstorm. It reminded him of Sasuke. Naruto slammed the door open and found himself staring at his childhood rival. The words had vanished, replaced by a rough swallow and the twitch of the fingers on his right hand. Sasuke had declined the prosthetic arm, so Naruto's eyes went to his friend's left arm, where he knew the sleeve was empty. Unlike Hinata, Sasuke had no gift. Naruto ignored the disappointment that curled in his gut and plastered on a smile.

"Are you going to invite me in?" Sasuke seemed amused. Naruto had noticed the slight twitch of Sasuke's lips, a sign that the man had fought off a smile. 

"Uh, yeah. Just give me a minute to," Naruto trailed off, darting back into his apartment. He picked up empty ramen cups and bowls and plates, stacking everything to create a mountain of trash and dirty dishes. When he turned to rush everything to the kitchen, he almost barreled down Sasuke. "It's not usually this messy, but, well," Naruto said, clearing his throat to end the rambling sentence.

"I'm not here to judge you on cleanliness, dobe," Sasuke spoke, visible eye focused on the mountain of trash and dishes. Naruto stepped around Sasuke and left the items on the kitchen counter. Naruto turned and leaned back against the counter. "I've been pardoned."

"I kind of figured that out, since you aren't locked up anymore," Naruto chuckled, a nervous energy about himself. Sasuke nodded, never one for many words. "So you're free," Naruto continued, trying to draw Sasuke into a conversation. 

"I know you had a lot to do with it," Sasuke said, leaving Naruto scrambling for excuses. Kurama chimed in that he should lie, but Naruto refused the suggestion. "Thank you."

"You'd do the same for me, right? It's no big deal," Naruto grinned. Sasuke hummed in response and the two fell into silence. Sasuke seemed content, but Naruto felt the urge to talk, to move, to do something other than stand there and swim in silence. "Want to get some breakfast?"

"I'm not eating ramen," Sasuke frowned, suddenly seeming suspicious. Naruto matched his friend's expression, then took a quick look around his kitchen. He knew if he opened the cabinets, he'd find nothing but ramen. Sakura and Kakashi had tried to get him eating healthier, but he always fell back on instant ramen. "Get dressed. There's a new restaurant I wouldn't mind trying."

"Alright! You can sit down on the," Naruto began, looking into his living room. The couch had blankets over it and empty chip bags from where he'd camped out there for a few days, and he saw scrolls stacked on the coffee table. He'd had a bad week. Thinking of his godfather and his parents had left him a wreck. "Maybe you should just stand. I'll be quick."

Naruto hurried down the hall to his bedroom and slipped into the room. He made his bed, because he tried to make it every morning, then he went to his closet, followed by his dresser, trying to find clean clothes. A laundry basket in the corner of his room was full of dirty clothes. He hadn't had the chance to wash them. Naruto found a pair of pants and a plain black t-shirt, so he dressed himself in that, adding mesh beneath the shirt, just in case. He didn't need weapons, but he kept a kunai pouch on his right thigh. After a second, he switched the pouch to his left thigh. Bandaging his right arm was difficult, and it took most of the time. He wasn't ashamed of the prosthetic, but he didn't like to show that part of himself. It was a reminder of the end of his mission to collect Sasuke. They could have died there, bleeding out on the ground, but they hadn't. And Sasuke was finally free. 

Naruto was still pulling his shirt on when he exited his bedroom. When he had his shirt on, he looked around the open space comprising his apartment and found Sasuke picking up the empty chip bags. Naruto watched his friend carry them to the garbage can, then he cleared his throat. Naruto was happy to get Sasuke out of his apartment. He decided he didn't want people to see the mess anymore, unless they offered to clean the apartment for him. That seemed pretty great.

As they traversed the streets, Naruto walked on Sasuke's left, something he didn't think about, something that felt natural. They would cover their weaknesses. Naruto started out at a respectable distance from Sasuke, but he drew closer to the man with every step. People waved and greeted him, shouting his name as if they knew him on a personal level. Naruto noticed the way they looked at Sasuke though, as if they knew, as if they had gone through the hell of chasing after Sasuke, dragging him back to Konoha, and arguing for his early release. No, they looked at Sasuke as if Sasuke had been the cause of all their problems. And Sasuke wasn't innocent, but he didn't deserve the glares or the whispers. Naruto had never really considered how the village would view Sasuke after the pardon. The rest of the rookies had mixed feelings. Only Sakura had sided with Naruto, and that was after Naruto's long-winded spiel about forgiveness and understanding and peace. It was easier to blame Sasuke; it was easier to hate Sasuke. 

"Don't let them get to you," Sasuke said, staring straight ahead. Naruto looked over at Sasuke, then he lowered his gaze to the ground. He knew enough about ignoring people, blocking out the negativity, so he called on that experience again. He struggled though, finding it harder to fight back responses. Naruto stood up for others. Naruto was a fighter. Ignoring the way people reacted to Sasuke felt a lot like letting them win. "This is it."

The glass door was open, a line of people stretching out to the street. Naruto looked at the name of the restaurant, then he looked at Sasuke. Shio. Naruto thought of shio ramen, but he quickly remembered Sasuke's words. He watched the way Sasuke took in the line, followed by the surrounding restaurants. Sasuke wanted to leave. Frowning, Naruto moved to Sasuke's right and grabbed the man's hand, easily tugging him forward. Naruto shouldered them through the doorway and into the cramped restaurant. The whole place smelled like cooking oil and freshly baked bread. Some tables had cereal, while others held a more traditional breakfast. Inside, the two waitresses stopped serving to stare at Naruto, their faces lighting up, and Naruto wondered if the villagers would ever look at him like a regular guy again. 

An old woman moved from behind the front counter, circling around a glass display case containing a variety of breads. She took in Naruto, then her eyes strayed to Naruto and Sasuke's joined hands. Sasuke slowly pulled his hand back, leaving Naruto to question why he hadn't released Sasuke's hand. 

"You've never been here before," the woman noted, a smile appearing on her face. She seemed to ignore Sasuke's presence, and she didn't notice the way Naruto exchanged a look with Sasuke. "Let me get you a table. It's the least I can do."

"But these people have been waiting, and we can always get it to go, right?" Naruto looked to Sasuke again, but the man didn't answer. Annoyed, Naruto rolled his eyes. He let the old woman take his hand and lead them to a table in the center of the room. She talked about the business, how the idea came to her late husband and she'd only just found the determination and funds to make his dream into a reality. Trying for politeness, Naruto nodded along with the words.

As soon as the woman left, Sasuke and Naruto claimed seats at the low table. The last time Naruto had shared a meal with Sasuke, they'd both been genin -- well, they were still genin. At that thought, Naruto chuckled. Sasuke looked up from the table and Naruto caught a brief glimpse of the rinnegan hidden beneath dark strands of hair. Naruto took a moment to toy with his chopsticks, then he finally sighed. Sasuke knew how easily he became restless. Naruto drummed his fingers on his thighs, then he shifted out of seiza to sit crisscrossed.

"Can't you sit still? You're making me nervous," Sasuke admitted, clearly unhappy with the fact. Naruto smiled, leaning forward in his seat to keep the conversation at the table. "Why do I have the feeling that you're about to say something stupid?"

"So I make you nervous? I'm not even doing anything. You're so uptight," Naruto said, as if in challenge. Sasuke took a quick look around the room, then he sighed and shifted out of seiza. "Yes!" Naruto cheered and Sasuke actually smiled at him, causing Naruto to feel a tingling sensation in his stomach. "You should smile more."

"I do have reasons to smile," Sasuke thought aloud. Their waitress arrived moments later and deposited two small menus on the table. She offered them a quick smile, a light blush overtaking her pale cheeks. Oddly enough, she smiled and blushed at _Sasuke_. Naruto hid himself behind his menu. "She doesn't know who I am," Sasuke explained, once the young woman had left the table. Naruto grunted. 

"That's not a bad thing, I guess. She's cute, you know, if you're into brunettes," Naruto said, peeking over his menu. Sasuke watched him, amusement clear in that dark eye. Naruto huffed. "What? I'm just saying she's into you," Naruto continued, shifting in his seat. 

"I'm not into brunettes, Naruto. I spent thirteen years of my life ignoring rabid fangirls. I have no problem doing the same thing all over again. If you're interested, you can try. I'm not going to stop you."

"I'm not interested."

"Alright."

That didn't go how Naruto had intended, and he barely contained the groan. Naruto ordered eggs and toast, while Sasuke had opted for a traditional breakfast. Sasuke hadn't had good food in a year, and Naruto understood his friend's desire for a hot meal. Sasuke chose to drink coffee, while Naruto sipped on green tea. When had Sasuke changed to coffee? How much had changed? Naruto wanted to get to know Sasuke, but he didn't want to play a game of twenty questions with the guy. Naruto needed the art of subtlety, which he generally lacked. Without the menus, they hid behind their meals, eyes barely lifting from their plates. Near the end of their meal, Naruto felt eyes on him, the familiar feel of Sasuke's chakra easily taking over his senses.

"I've got it," Naruto spoke, taking the check from the waitress. He expected an argument, but Sasuke merely nodded. "You could at least try to pay, cheapskate," he joked. 

"The village froze most of my funds. Unless you want to roll up your proverbial sleeves and work off this meal, you're paying." Sasuke showed Naruto another smile, that one small, but just as full of something Naruto couldn't quite describe. He'd never been a master of emotions, despite his gift with words. Maybe he needed a new word, one just for Sasuke. "You're staring at me a lot lately."

"It's because you're still a bastard."

"You're still a dumbass."

"You didn't wish me a happy birthday," Naruto complained, voice whiny just to irritate Sasuke. The trick worked. Sasuke rolled his eyes. "Well?"

"Happy birthday, dobe," Sasuke breezily replied. Naruto beamed, slapped some ryo on the table, and led the way out of the restaurant. They barely dodged the owner creeping up on them. 

"So what did you get me?" Naruto nudged his right elbow into Sasuke's side, careful not to put too much force behind the gesture. Sasuke looked over at him, and Naruto waited for him to reply. The question had been a joke, but Sasuke seemed determined to respond.

"My presence isn't enough for you?"

"You aren't that great."

"Hn. Your constant pursuit of me says otherwise."

Naruto inhaled and choked, caught somewhere between a nervous laugh and a clearing of his throat. Sasuke patted his back, the gesture too rough, showing Sasuke's lack of experience comforting someone. Naruto wondered what type of person Sasuke had been with Taka. He wondered if Sasuke had learned anything more about friendships, general relationships. Some part of him wanted to ask Sasuke about the man's precious people. He opened his mouth, but he quickly closed it. Naruto didn't think Sasuke would answer him.

The two had no destination in mind, so they wandered through the village, on an aimless adventure. The village had evolved a great deal since Nagato's attack. More merchants had set up shop, all of them willing to settle in the village, whether they'd been in the village before the attack or they'd arrived to capitalize on the need for places to shop. Naruto liked the restaurants, even if he frequented Ichiraku's ramen stand. The place had expanded, something he could appreciate. They passed the restaurant and Naruto took a moment to stop and greet Teuchi, then Naruto jogged to catch up with Sasuke, his friend unwilling to stop and wait. 

As they passed a park, Naruto paused to watch the children running around, their laughter causing him to smile. He hoped that none of them would ever have to go through another war. If he had anything to do with it, no child would ever see war. Sasuke had stopped to watch the scene, so Naruto grinned at him.

"I'm leaving the village," Sasuke announced, the words cutting right through the moment, cutting right through Naruto. "I have a lot that I need to make up for, and I've decided that this village isn't for me, not after what it did to my family."

"You can't just leave," Naruto frowned, grabbing a handful of Sasuke's cloak. He tugged Sasuke away from the children, leading the way to an empty park bench. Naruto sank down onto the wooden bench, and Sasuke was slow to follow. "What about Kakashi-sensei and Sakura? What about your team? I just dragged your ass back. You can't just run off again, dattebayo!"

"I have permission from the Hokage to leave. I would do better out in the world. I have a personal mission," Sasuke said, resting his right hand atop his thigh. Naruto eyed him, frustration building. Sasuke looked calm, as if the decision had been simple. Naruto closed his eyes, gathering the courage to say what he wanted to say.

"Then I'm going with you." Naruto shrugged his shoulders, as if it were that simple. Sasuke quickly turned to look at Naruto, visible eye wide in disbelief. Naruto thought about chasing his dream of becoming Hokage; he thought about taking the chunin exams again, maybe completing the work necessary to climb the ranks. He didn't need a higher rank, not after his performance in the war, but he wanted to reach jonin, to prove he could. 

"This is something I need to do alone. This is my way of repenting. This is my way of redeeming myself," Sasuke explained, speaking slowly and clearly, as if Naruto wouldn't understand.

"You don't have to do it alone. You always want to do things alone. You're," Naruto paused, reaching up to rub the back of his head, "you're my best friend." The words had tasted wrong, but he'd forged ahead. Sasuke gave him a partial smile, some fondness hidden there. Naruto felt the familiar flutter of something in his gut.

"Sakura wanted to go too."

"Am I the last one to know?"

"There's a reason for that."

Naruto clung to the idea that Sasuke had known the exchange would be another battle. Naruto had a lot of fight left in him, and he knew he needed to be just as stubborn as Sasuke, maybe more stubborn than Sasuke. The children's laughter pointed out the lull in the conversation. Naruto believed he could bring Sasuke back; Naruto believed he was reason enough to stay. They could wander for a while. They could go on Sasuke's tour of redemption. For some reason, Naruto wanted to know how adamant Sakura had been about accompanying Sasuke. She still had feelings for Sasuke. Naruto wasn't stupid. They both cared too much for the Uchiha. Naruto refused to entertain the idea that he had romantic feelings for Sasuke, that he'd developed a crush on his best friend, that maybe the whole mission to bring Sasuke home had been him chasing after the idea of them being together, building a life together. They were young, too young, but Naruto knew exactly what he wanted. After a frustrated growl, Naruto poke Sasuke's right arm.

"I'm going with you, even if you don't want me to. If you leave me behind, I'll just hunt you down again. You're not getting rid of me that easily," Naruto frowned, knowing his words would likely annoy Sasuke. Instead of a refusal, Sasuke responded by chuckling. "What's so damn funny about that, huh?"

"I can see you chasing after me. Don't you ever get tired of chasing me? Don't you ever want to stop?"

"No. You're worth it," Naruto shrugged, looking away to avoid seeing the shocked look on Sasuke's face. "You'll eventually tire yourself out." Naruto didn't know that Sasuke would, but he hoped; he hoped that Sasuke would feel the same pull Naruto felt, the pull of the village, the opportunity to settle and begin life anew. Naruto turned to look at Sasuke and felt a light poke on his forehead. 

"Stay here," Sasuke said, pulling his hand away from Naruto's head. Anyone else would have listened, as Sakura had likely listened, but it was _Naruto_. Sasuke stood and offered another partial smile, though it reeked of something suspiciously close to sadness. "Happy birthday, dobe."


	2. Not a Crush

Naruto threw out the perishables in his fridge. He never recalled buying milk or half of the vegetables and leftovers he'd thrown out, but he didn't stop to admire the smell or the mold. Once he'd finished, he carried the trash out, then he returned to finish his laundry. The clothes were clean and smelled of fresh linen, reminding Naruto of the smell of a nice summer breeze. He'd rushed himself along, completing his deep cleaning in record time. Sakura had mentioned that Sasuke was leaving at noon, and Naruto knew that he wasn't going to let Sasuke walk out of his life again. He didn't want Sasuke to leave him behind again. He acknowledged how much that had hurt him the first time around, and every time after that. Naruto was older, wiser, and he refused to let himself fall behind.

Most of the time had been spent with Kakashi, convincing the Rokudaime that he was ready and capable, that he would return any time the village needed him. Apparently, letting Naruto wander off with Sasuke was a bit of a security issue for the village, but Naruto had threatened not to return at all. He'd been bluffing, but Kakashi had simply sighed and drawn up the paperwork for a leave of absence, return date undecided. Kakashi reminded him that he needed to be active and present to be deemed a candidate for Hokage, but Naruto had waved his former sensei off. Kakashi would likely occupy the position for some time, since the new council had deemed Naruto too young to take over for the unwilling Hatake. Some day, the hat would be Naruto's, but not yet.

In hindsight, rushing through his apartment, cramming as much stuff into a bag and a single storage scroll as possible seemed like a bad way to start a trip where he'd invited himself. He didn't waste time thinking about what he would say to Sasuke, how he would apologize without really apologizing. Naruto wasn't sorry, after all. Naruto stopped running through his apartment when his blue eyes caught sight of his collection of plants. They sat on the windowsill, right above his kitchen sink, the bright afternoon sun revealing vibrant green leaves. He had a tiny flowering cactus that Gaara had gifted him. He considered taking it, just to have that part of his friend with him, but he reconsidered and spent the next ten minutes checking over his belongings. Even though Naruto likely wouldn't need a first aid kit, Sakura had hammered the idea of preparedness into his thick skull. He'd buried a few scrolls into his bag, just jutsu based around other affinities, and he'd packed extra kunai and shuriken. He was ready, more than ready. 

Naruto was late getting to the gates for a proper sendoff, so he ran through the village, dodging people and greetings as he waved and apologized. He saw Sakura first, her bright pink hair standing out against the backdrop. Kakashi stood there, clearly saying a few words to Sasuke, so Naruto slowed his approach, trying to pretend as if he hadn't crossed the village in record time. Naruto knew Sasuke had waited for him and that brought a smile to his face. Sasuke wore a dark grey cloak, and he had a sword on his back, similar to the sword that had been broken during the war. Most likely built to handle Sasuke's lightning. 

"Sorry I'm late," Naruto greeted them. Sakura turned to scold him, but her mouth hung open, words lost. Her green eyes settled on the backpack on his back, then she slowly turned to look at Sasuke. 

"Maa, let's give them a moment," Kakashi said, resting a hand atop Sakura's right shoulder. "Have a safe trip," Kakashi added, smiling behind the mask. Sakura planted her feet though, refusing to budge. Naruto looked between the angry expression on her face and the unreadable expression on Sasuke's face. 

"You're going with him? Sasuke?" The anger on Sakura's face transformed into something brimming with hurt and betrayal. Naruto hated that, hated himself, but not enough to back down. He refused to walk away. "He can go, but I can't? You told me this was something you had to do alone," she continued, hands turning to fists at her sides. 

"He's not coming," Sasuke said, gaze on Naruto. 

"Like hell I'm not. I'm packed and ready to go," Naruto frowned, taking a few steps across the imaginary divide. Suddenly it was Sasuke and Naruto standing before Sakura and Kakashi. "You want to redeem yourself? I'm going to teach you how it's done."

"I don't want you coming."

"I don't care what you want. I'm coming with you."

"What's so different? I told you I'd go with you -- I want to go with you -- and you're letting _Naruto_ shoulder his way into going?" Sakura reached out and grabbed the collar of Naruto's shirt, dragging him forward so that she could yell at him. Sasuke grabbed the back of Naruto's shirt and dragged him back. 

"Leave him alone," Sasuke said, shattering whatever calm had been between the two. Naruto looked between Sasuke and Sakura, clearly confused, but he never had the chance to ask. Sakura straightened up, standing tall, and turned her back on Sasuke, muttering at him to have a safe trip. 

"What just happened?" Naruto looked at Kakashi, because Sasuke had turned away from Sakura, facing the open gates. Kakashi chuckled, as if knowing exactly what had happened. "I'm serious. Don't just laugh at me," Naruto pouted. "Should I go after her? She seemed pretty mad."

"Are you coming or not?" Sasuke glanced over his right shoulder, making eye contact with Naruto. Naruto blinked a few times, then he grinned and nodded. "Let's go." Sasuke nodded once at Kakashi, then walked through the open gates. 

"I'll keep in contact, like I promised. If we run into any trouble, I'll let you know. See you later, Kakashi-sensei!" Naruto waved and turned to race after Sasuke. He thought he heard Kakashi sigh, but stopping to ask about the response would have cost him more time, so he wrote it off as something he'd imagined.

About eight kilometers outside of the village, Naruto tired of walking in silence, so he risked a few glances to his right. Sasuke had a sword and a cloak, but Naruto wondered if the man had storage scrolls hidden underneath the cloak. Leaving the village with nothing but a cloak and a sword seemed rather stupid, and Sasuke wasn't stupid. At least Naruto hadn't brought the cactus. Naruto had actually left his potted plants in Hinata's care, despite his reserves. She took on the responsibility with a smile and told him to have a good time, as if she knew something he didn't; in fact, the rest of the rookies seemed just as aware and cryptic. Naruto wrinkled his nose, thinking that maybe he'd missed something. Another brief look in Sasuke's direction left him with more questions. Maybe Sasuke knew something. 

"Sas?"

"I hate when you call me that, but what?"

"Everyone was acting really weird. I told my friends goodbye and they kept smiling and telling me to have a good time. It's not really a vacation. You have plans, right?" Naruto laced his fingers behind his head, content to stroll along to the sound of a nearby creek. So far, they'd made good time. When Sasuke didn't answer, Naruto took a quick look in Sasuke's direction. "Sasuke?"

"I have a vague outline. Kakashi made a request. He wanted me to investigate Sound and destroy any remaining labs in the nation. Orochimaru drew a map, but he's untrustworthy," Sasuke said, skipping over the first part of Naruto's words. Sasuke parted the front of his cloak and extended a scroll to Naruto. "Keep track of where we're going. I haven't been to this part of Sound."

"So these marks are for labs?" Naruto had wasted no time opening the map. He blocked his view of the dirt path by opening up a whole map of the area. "This line will be our route? We're cutting through the Valley of the End. Feeling nostalgic?" 

"If you have any complaints, you can turn around and go back." 

Naruto squinted at him, considering a rude response, then turned back to the map. The map showed the northern portion of the Land of Fire, which Naruto didn't mind, as they both knew their way through the Land of Fire, for the most part. Naruto thought about the first time he'd traveled to Sound, how he and his friends fought the Otogakure shinobi. He thought of Sasuke leaving him there. The first time he'd lost Sasuke. He wondered if that had hurt most of all. Naruto folded the map and stuck it into his bag. He didn't care where they went, not when they were going together, and that thought left him feeling something he couldn't describe. Sick, perhaps, but not in a bad way, despite the fact that his description made no sense. Naruto practiced curling and uncurling the fingers on his right arm, then he worked on his wrist. Sasuke caught the movement, so Naruto stopped.

"Shouldn't you be going through physical therapy for your arm?" Sasuke walked on Naruto's right, so Naruto nudged Sasuke's side, forgetting for a moment that Sasuke had no left arm. Naruto felt a rush of guilt and sighed. They'd both been morons; they shouldn't have blown off their arms.

"I'm supposed to keep stretching and practicing with it. It's stronger than it was. If it worked for Obito, it can work for me," Naruto stated, reaching over to pat his wrapped arm. Sasuke nodded, as if that explained everything. "It looks pretty weird though. I wish I didn't have to keep it covered. It's hot."

"Why don't you wear gloves?"

"One glove? That's stupid."

"No, dobe. I said _gloves_."

"I just don't like gloves. I'll wear them in the cold, but only out of necessity," Naruto decided, hopping over a large hole in the path. Sasuke snorted, the noise surprising Naruto. "Sas? Why don't you take them up on the offer and let them fix your left arm? Your left hand is your dominant hand." Naruto had never asked, because he'd always thought that Sasuke would have Tsunade and Sakura complete the surgery Naruto had gone through for his own arm.

"I'm not interested," Sasuke replied, pausing after the words, "and stop calling me Sas, Naru." Naruto huffed and rolled his eyes, though he didn't mind the nickname. Sasuke's words should have signaled the end of the conversation, but Naruto knew he could continue prying for more information. "Leave it alone," Sasuke said, reading something in Naruto's expression.

"But it doesn't make sense. You're a Konoha shinobi again, so having a left arm would really help. You wouldn't have to learn to use your right arm."

"I'm not a Konoha shinobi. I declined reinstatement."

"We're on a mission though. You're saying Kakashi-sensei gave a mission to a random not-shinobi person?"

"He asked for a favor. This isn't an official mission, and I'm not a 'random not-shinobi person' in this scenario," Sasuke said. 

Naruto had a feeling Sasuke had made a face, but Sasuke's hair concealed the left side of his face, so Naruto couldn't tell. Even though Naruto wanted to talk sense into Sasuke, Naruto settled for grunting and dropping the topic. He'd wanted things to go back to normal, or as close to normal as possible. Maybe it was naive on his part, but he was that way sometimes, especially when it came to Sasuke. They were Team Seven again, whether Sasuke wanted to admit it or not. That thought reminded Naruto of Sakura's reaction at the gates, how she'd looked crushed. Naruto closed his eyes and took a deep breath. He knew she'd cool off and forgive him for forcing his way into Sasuke's redemption arc. She still had feelings for Sasuke, Naruto knew that, but -- he didn't want to think about those things. He didn't need to confuse himself. Beside him, Sasuke was oblivious to Naruto's chain of thoughts, completely unaware of the way Naruto did a once over on his friend. Naruto liked Sasuke's hair, and Sasuke looked cool in the dark cloak. Sasuke always looked cool, even when he'd been with Orochimaru. 

"Why do you keep looking at me?" Naruto looked up from Sasuke's legs to find Sasuke staring at him. Caught, Naruto fumbled along a list of excuses, trying to find one that was believable. "Were you checking me out?" Sasuke arched a brow at him and he burst into laughter, laughter that was too loud and stretched on for far too long.

"No way! I was," Naruto stalled, looking over his friend again, "I was thinking about your cloak and wondering if it'd be cold farther north. I packed a cloak too, dattebayo!" Naruto knew the moment his verbal tic surfaced that he'd lost. Sasuke chuckled and Naruto knew the moment his face started to feel warm that he'd blushed, which fed into a cycle of embarrassment and blushing. "Look at that tree! It's huge!"

"You're going to have to try a lot harder than that to change the subject."

"I wasn't trying to change the subject. It's a really big tree!"

"We're in a forest full of trees that look just like that tree. There's nothing special about it."

Naruto climbed up the branches and Sasuke followed. He really thought that Sasuke would press the issue, but Sasuke seemed content letting it go. Naruto focused on their path through the trees, even though every part of him wanted to look over at Sasuke. He wanted to know Sasuke's thoughts, because his thoughts were a jumbled mess. One jump was a little short and Naruto knew the moment his foot slid off the branch that he was going for a nasty fall. Naruto tried to focus his chakra to his feet, but he applied too much and threw himself toward the ground. He didn't have the presence to scream. He sucked in a sharp breath and rotated, knowing he could land on his feet if he timed it right, but his jacket caught on something and he ended up dangling there, legs kicking back and forth. He waved his arms, as if trying to take flight, but he heard a grunt from somewhere overhead.

"Stop moving so much or I'm going to drop you," Sasuke warned him. Naruto tipped his head back and saw that Sasuke had a tight grip on the back of his jacket. Sasuke clung to the bottom of a large branch, chakra keeping the man in place. Naruto grinned and flashed a quick thumbs up. “You’re,” Sasuke sighed, releasing the hold on Naruto’s jacket.

Naruto screamed and flailed, forgetting for a moment that he could rotate to avoid landing on his side. He didn’t turn fast enough though. Looking up, he saw Sasuke smirking at him, so he opened his mouth to yell at his friend, and then he collided with the ground. He landed on his back, the air leaving his lungs in one big rush, leaving him gasping and choking on nothing. Sasuke dropped down beside Naruto, nudging the toe of his right sandal into Naruto’s side. Naruto tried to grab Sasuke’s ankle and drag him to the ground, but Sasuke kicked Naruto’s arm away and took a step back. Sasuke turned to look at the path that would lead them deeper into the woods, so Naruto grabbed both of Sasuke’s legs and yanked. Sasuke swayed for a moment before toppling over, landing right on top of Naruto. Again, Naruto lost the air in his lungs. He groaned, flailing his arms and legs until Sasuke rolled off of him. 

“Damn, Sasuke. You’re heavy,” Naruto groaned, resting a hand over his stomach. Sasuke had elbowed him there and he still felt the ache. Naruto expected a glare, but he heard quiet laughter. Sasuke sat down beside him, shifting so that they could untangle their legs. “Why’d you drop me? I could have gotten hurt, dattebayo!”

“That verbal tic again,” Sasuke chuckled, tilting his head back to look up at the cover of leaves. “You’re fine, dobe. You’ve survived worse.”

“Yeah, so a fractured skull would be child’s play,” Naruto grumbled, sitting up. Naruto brushed some stray leaves and twigs from his hair, then he fixed his rumpled clothing. His jacket had a nice tear on the right forearm, though the bandages underneath seemed fine. He sighed and jerked his arm toward Sasuke. “Look at my jacket! You owe me a new one,” Naruto frowned, poking a finger through the tear.

“You look ridiculous in orange, and you’re the one who decided to fall out of a tree,” Sasuke pointed out, reaching out to poke a finger through a hole on the left sleeve. Naruto gasped and pulled away, only to cradle the arm to himself. “I’ll get you a jacket when we stop in a village. It won’t be orange.”

“Sas,” Naruto pouted, watching the irritation flash across Sasuke’s face. When Sasuke didn’t rise to the bait, Naruto sighed and started removing his torn jacket. He found another hole in the back, that one larger than the two tears on the sleeves. “Great,” he muttered. 

Jiraiya had been the one to help him find new clothing, so he held onto the jacket, fingers digging into the fabric. He stared down at the jacket until Sasuke poked his hitai-ate, then he looked up and forced a smile, one that he knew didn’t reach his eyes. Sasuke took the jacket from him and examined the holes, then held it up to watch the light shine through the fabric. Naruto needed a new jacket; he needed a new outfit. Maybe he did look ridiculous in orange, but Naruto liked orange. Orange was bright, and everything about him was bright. Bright hair. Bright eyes. Bright orange. Sasuke handed the jacket back to him and Naruto dug through his bag for the cloak he’d packed. Instead, he pulled out his long red jacket.

“Wear that.” Sasuke stood over Naruto and pointed to the jacket. The long red jacket meant a lot too, since it reminded Naruto of his dad and godfather. Nodding, Naruto stuffed the black-and-orange jacket away and slipped on the red jacket. It was closer to a cloak, but it didn’t fasten at the neck. “We should be getting closer to the valley,” Sasuke noted, once again staring at their path through the forest.

“Yeah,” Naruto agreed. He stood next to Sasuke, both of them staring down the path. The sun was closer to the horizon, promising another hour or two of sunlight for their journey. When Naruto noticed Sasuke staring at him, he looked away, half in a panic, thinking he’d been the one caught staring.

“You’re supposed to be in charge of the map,” Sasuke reminded him. Naruto snorted and raised his hand to point in the right direction, but he noticed two other paths branching off from that path. Suddenly, he wasn’t so sure. “Just check the map,” Sasuke sighed.

“Right. Just give me a minute,” Naruto mumbled, already tearing through his belongings for the map. He eventually found it tucked into his bag. He tugged the map out, but it got caught on something. Instead of taking his time with it, he pulled and ripped it in two. He looked up to see if Sasuke had noticed and found Sasuke’s right eye twitching. “I can fix this!” Naruto tugged on the piece still trapped in his bag and ripped the map again. “We should be,” Naruto began, tongue sticking out of the corner of his mouth, “right here! Or here. Or here, I guess. We could be here too.” Naruto pointed at random marks on the map, eventually rotating them several times to try and find the correct direction.

“That’s not Otogakure. That’s Yugakure. No, that’s Konoha. It’s still Konoha. Move your finger,” Sasuke said, clearly exasperated. Sasuke grabbed the largest piece of the map, but Naruto latched onto it as well. They tugged at it a few times and it tore down the middle, creating another two pieces for their patchwork map. “You’re no longer in charge of the map, or any map, for the remainder of this journey.”

“We can’t be that lost. Let’s just head north,” Naruto suggested, pulling out a compass. He stared down at it for a few minutes, then proceeded to rotate in a full circle. When the needle didn’t move, he tapped on the glass. “It’s broken,” he sighed, handing the compass to Sasuke.

“We’ll go by the sun. Let’s go,” Sasuke said, throwing the compass back into Naruto’s bag. Naruto quickly closed his bag and put it back onto his back, then the two started moving again. Naruto frowned, eyes on the uneven ground in front of them. He kept sneaking glances at Sasuke, thinking he’d proven himself worthless, so far. “Would you stop pouting? I’ll fix the map when we make camp.”

They traveled well into the night, since neither one seemed ready to stop. Naruto had been unusually quiet, content to enjoy the trip that brought up so many memories. When they finally stopped to make camp, they were a few hours outside of the valley. Sasuke had wanted to keep moving, but Naruto decided that they were stopping. Neither of them had eaten since noon, and Naruto made a comment about Sasuke’s weight, which led to a comment about Naruto’s weight, and that led to a scuffle. They ended up flat on their backs, taking Naruto back to their time after the war, when they’d been stupid enough to destroy themselves. Naruto folded his arms behind his head and stared up at the full moon. Beside him, Sasuke stared up at the same sky. For the first time since the start of the trip, Naruto thought about Konoha. He thought about the people he knew, all the places he frequented, and he came to the conclusion that he’d made the right decision. Naruto turned his head to look at Sasuke, then he turned onto his side. Head resting against his right arm, Naruto watched Sasuke, rather than the twinkling stars and the pale full moon.

“Teme,” Naruto said, falling back on their old nicknames. Sasuke made a noise, somewhere between a snort and a brief laugh. That made Naruto smile. He almost lost track of the question, the beginning of the uncomfortable conversation he wanted to share.

“What is it now?” Sasuke didn’t turn to look at him, and he was thankful. He needed to build up the nerve. 

“Why didn’t you want Sakura coming? She really cares about you,” Naruto said, feeling as if he needed to share the obvious. Sasuke remained quiet, giving Naruto the time to reconsider the topic, to panic, to scramble for a way to save himself. He opened his mouth to brush it off, but Sasuke turned to look at him.

“I know she cares about me. She told me before I left,” Sasuke informed him, surprisingly nonchalant. Brows drawn together, lips twisted for a frown, Naruto tried to understand. Naruto had spent years in some stupid pursuit of Sakura, and Sasuke had walked away. “I’m not interested in her.”

Naruto felt something like righteous anger curl in his gut, and he swore he heard Kurama chuckle, but he didn’t get the chance to blurt out something he would go on to regret. Sasuke shifted focus, eyes on the sky again, but Naruto remained on his side, still staring, still trying to understand. Sakura was amazing. She was strong and independent. She was extremely talented. She’d always been intelligent. And Sasuke didn’t want her. That raised more questions, and a hope that lived and breathed in Naruto’s blue eyes. Maybe Sasuke didn’t like women. Maybe Sasuke was asexual. Naruto knew that was a thing. He just remembered the time their team had gathered before Kakashi and introduced themselves; Naruto remembered when Sasuke stated that he wanted to rebuild his clan. Naruto flopped onto his back, arms stretched out by his sides, and tried to understand why he gave a damn. Oh. Right. Naruto looked over at Sasuke again, at the way Sasuke’s hair fell back to reveal the single rinnegan eye. He was sort of handsome. Naruto squinted, taking a moment to judge his friend’s profile. Sasuke was gorgeous. 

“Do you like girls like Hinata then, girls from a clan?” Naruto knew he was prying, but he was already invested, too invested. He expected Sasuke to sigh, to turn and look at him, to judge him, but Sasuke remained perfectly still. “It shouldn’t matter,” Naruto began, ready to lecture Sasuke on the importance of civilian-born shinobi. He didn’t get to finish.

“No.”

“Fine. I give up. What kind of girl interests you?”

“Hn. None of them. I’m not interested in women.”

Asexual. Naruto frowned, trying to decide if he wanted to offer support and understanding or change the subject. The thought of Sasuke being asexual left Naruto disappointed, to be honest. He’d always thought that maybe there could have been more. He’d thought that maybe their weird relationship could be called something other than _friendship_, under the right microscope. Naruto had enough nerve to say he had feelings for Sasuke, but not enough to label them as anything more than some bastardized version of a crush. He could have really used his mom. She would have known what to say or what to do; she would have given him all the support he needed. Naruto closed his eyes, as if cutting off his wandering thoughts. Night always ate away at him, reminding him of people he’d lost, of things he’d done wrong. Oddly enough, he felt lost. Even though he wasn’t moving, even though he and Sasuke both knew their physical location, Naruto felt totally lost, adrift on some rough seas. Naruto thought about reaching out and touching the hand resting atop Sasuke’s stomach, but as soon as his fingers twitched, he stopped himself. They had a line between them, thin and flimsy as it was, and crossing it, baring himself that way, meant that whatever they had would change. He should have stormed forward, all too eager to alter their relationship, to take that chance, but he hesitated. He chose that moment to be a complete coward. 

“You still don’t get it, do you?” Sasuke looked at him then and he took in the way Sasuke’s lips curved. Sasuke smiled at him, clearly amused at Naruto’s lack of response. Instead of admitting his own confusion, Naruto arched a brow. “You’re an idiot. Why do you think I let you come with me?”

“You realized I’d follow you anyway, and you’d never be able to get rid of me?” Naruto grinned, his heart soaring with the sound of Sasuke’s soft laughter. “It really wasn’t your choice,” Naruto said, clearing the air. Sasuke seemed to wait on him though, waiting to hear the right words. “Uh, I don’t know,” Naruto stalled, reaching up to scratch his head, “you want to spend time with your best friend?”

“I’m interested in you.” Sasuke had never been one to beat around the bush, to drag things out for the sole purpose of wasting time. He was forward, very straight with things, but he shouldn’t have thrown the words at Naruto. Naruto blinked a few times, then nodded, understanding without understanding. Sasuke rolled his eyes and allowed Naruto time to catch up.

“Oh. Wait. Like you’re,” Naruto trailed off, his mouth falling open. “So you’re,” Naruto tried again. “You aren’t messing with me, are you?” Naruto sat up and moved closer to Sasuke, only to lean in to judge the expression on Sasuke’s face. Sasuke reached up, planted his hand in the center of Naruto’s chest, and shoved Naruto away. “Hey, wait,” Naruto said, catching Sasuke’s shoulder before Sasuke had a chance to get up, “I get to respond!”

Sasuke remained seated, turning so that they were facing one another. Naruto racked his brain for a confession that lingered just below the surface. Sasuke had revealed his hand, but Naruto -- well, Naruto didn’t even know what cards he had left. Life had taken so many cards out of his deck that he felt as if he were caught in limbo, unsure if the game had already ended or only just begun. Naruto found himself staring at Sasuke’s left side. He reached out to touch Sasuke’s shoulder and felt the way the man stiffened, only to relax. They’d been through a lot together. Naruto missed the first moment when he should have said something, and every moment after that, but Sasuke remained seated, giving him all the time he needed to gather the right words. He could have pointed out how beautiful Sasuke looked, pale skin bathed in moonlight, but it had never been about Sasuke’s looks. Naruto liked Sasuke’s attitude, cold one moment and hot the next; Naruto liked Sasuke’s ability to go toe-to-toe with him. He liked Sasuke’s scowls just as much as he liked Sasuke’s smiles. 

“Oh,” Naruto finally said, his mouth opening and closing. It wasn’t a crush. The thought rose along with the rough seas, washing him away, dragging him under. He had a moment to consider his words, a choice between honesty and dishonesty. “I think I love you.”

“I didn’t expect that,” Sasuke admitted, visible eye wide. He looked away from Naruto, clearly still in shock, while Naruto tried to decide how to save the conversation. “You really go all in, don’t you?”

“Yeah, I didn’t mean to throw that at you,” Naruto trailed off, reeking of uncertainty. Sasuke touched Naruto's left arm and he covered Sasuke’s hand with his own. They didn’t talk about when feelings arose, how feelings arose; they sat there for a few more minutes, basking in the sudden confession, and then Sasuke asked if Naruto wanted a granola bar, and their lives resumed.

Naruto had found his way again.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Fun fact! My very first Naruto fanfic (on ff.net) was for this pairing. I haven't written SasuNaru for YEARS. I had so much fun writing this though, so I hope it's good! Who knows, maybe I'll use this pairing for more prompts. :)
> 
> Also! I had to poke fun at the fact that shinobi don't need maps or compasses, and they can start traveling with next to no items on them. Yep. I joked with a friend that the headbands secretly have GPS and that's really why missing nin keep them. Haha.

**Author's Note:**

> This ended up being longer than expected, and I'm not even sorry.


End file.
